The Blockade

In overrunning Hanhai, the Sakhan Liberation Army captured the garrison's air defence systems. Emplaced QW-7s have been refitted onto several relatively nimble mining vehicles for the defence of the columns advancing on WuWei. The short-range salvo-fired surface to air missiles are perfect for picking off low-flying VTOLs or interface craft using NOE approaches.

Art by UkitaKumuki

Before the main force of PLA Marines can make their landing, power armour squads have been sent in to break the air blockade.

The rebel forces have put a platoon of their forces on the ground to protect each SAM battery 

This squad of powered armour marines make their way towards a suspected site, command has identified a few likely locations based on electronic emissions

A team of rebels makes a foray from one of the hills overlooking the marines' advance - the return fire suppresses them and they miss the shot with their missile launcher

The left-hand marine fireteam has taken severe casualties, but the senior NCO leads the others straight in between the two main hills - firing on rebel forces to either side as they reveal themselves

These rebels take a pounding from that NCO's plasma gun, it sears straight through the cover they were relying on

The power armoured marines overrun and rebel team and then turn their missile launcher on the SAM vehicle, the nearby rebel commanders are helpless to stop them

Nearby rebel team harry the other marines - their suit systems have probably saved them, two are severely wounded by the end of this exchange

The other fireteam make their way out, no rebel forces are likely to stand in their way

Mission accomplished for the government forces, now it's up to their compatriots inside WuWei to hold out until relief can arrive...

Kickstarter Delivers!

So after kickstarting my first project some 12 months ago, I finally got two deliveries last week!

The first one was the large box of Gunship: First Strike, a tactical space combat game which looks very well put together indeed.

The second was the Adventures of the 19XX, a graphic novel of pulp adventures in the 1930s.

So obviously I'm going to have to play/read these at some stage, but maybe when things calm down in a few weeks. Trying to get around to posting some game reports from Leprecon and another few recent games.

Wharf Project, Part ii

So with Leprecon over, back to the wharf project we return...

As you can see the main wharf is clad with stone, while the other one (an earthen section) has wooden pilings shoring it up. This kind of earthen wharf was more common than you might think, but could be completely removed if inappropriate.

One end of the stone wharf is rather worse for wear, and the other side of it has two barred openings where sewers or streams could exit into the harbour.

There's two smaller sections for the wharf to connect to the main board. An earthen ramp and some steps (large enough to take a standard 28mm figure's base). Two 6" jetties finish off the construction, with wooden pilings to match the earthen wharf's.

I think you'll appreciate how well the whole thing fits together. Mr. Fitzpatrick is amenable to taking up your cause for a wargaming project - email him and I'm confident he'll be able to solve your design and construction quandary!

Here's two final shots of the wharf in action!

Wharf Project, Part i

A while back I commissioned a wharf from Capability Savage (whose work to make the Airfix Waterloo Farmhouse a true gaming item you may have seen before over on Joy & Forgetfulness).

My brief was simple (or at least simple-minded!):

In broad strokes I was looking for approx. 36" stone and/or wooden wharf to go around three sides of a waterway in a small colonial port. Extras like steps, piers, mooring posts would be good too.

One issue I wasn't sure about was how it would connect to the town - without building up the ground level...

Keeping the overall shape fairly uniform was important - after all I would be transporting this in a box to games. I really didn't want to fully integrate it with the land or water sections - just to set it down on a water area which will be on a earth-coloured mat. I'd be putting buildings nearby with cobbled streets and such, so it'll be a rough-and-ready transition.

Two wooden jetties would jut out from the main wharf.

I had a few boats which needed to be considered. Three of them have straight gunwales of just less than 1". The fourth one has a waist of just more than 1" and forecastle/quarterdecks of approx 2".
My initial feeling was that something of between 1 & 2" is about right (for 28mm figures by the way).

The game in question was set during the Pulp era, so aiming for 1920s/30s colonial Africa, but really I wanted to be able to use it for Mobsters as well - somewhere between a well-run merchant dock and small Caribbean port.

More photos to come...

Please Advise

The conclusion...although the Package has been secured, an American contractor has been captured and is being used as an unwilling technical advisor to the rebels.

A small group of elite operators is sent in to rescue him – should the rebels be taught a harsh lesson it would be considered a bonus.

Quiet streets, for now - you can see the four Delta operators getting ready behind a nearby building 

A rebel group patrols down a nearby laneway - they're in a good position to directly reinforce the main compound or attempt a flanking movement

Delta approach compound - they've made a quick movement down the side of the buildings, avoiding the main street and the traffic. Just behind the white and orange taxi is a news team, who've somehow gotten wind of the hostage situation - any trip-up will cause a media storm

They're engaged by the rebels in the compound - one of them gets hit and as they try to return fire under movement an unarmed civilian crosses the road in front of them!

They cross the open ground and rebel fire hits the old woman - one of the Delta operators stops to give her basic first aid before dragging her into cover

They're under serious time pressure now, but a heliborne sniper has joined in to  help them out. The shots from above takes out two rebels nearby as Delta storms the smaller building, wiping out another rebel group. Unfortunately for them the hostage is nowhere to be found: he must be in the main building

Delta form up for an assault, but with incoming fire and the helicopter driven away by RPG fire, they hunker down and must exfiltrate before more rebels cut off their route

Once again, a very close-run affair - keeping to a strict time-table is difficult with only four men, and Delta only seemed to realise the urgency of things in the last two turns.

Eyes On

With rebel forces in control of the Package, a SpecOps team has been sent in to put eyes on it, and destroy  it along with any threat to the stability of the region.

A two-man hidden sniper team lies conceals, attempting to put 'eyes on' the Package in order to call in an air strike to put it permanently beyond use.

Patrols are out in force, they patrol the compound in a tightly controlled circuit. So far the hidden observation team hasn't located the Package, but has ruled out two of the buildings in the main compound

An unknown vehicle approaches along a dirt road, and immediately the patrols' alertness is raised. One patrol makes its way across to check out the vehicle.

One patrol spots something in the small copse of trees beyond. The observation team  has just compounded it's failed roll to check out the third building - maybe in their frustration they left their laser designator flash in the sunlight... 

Snipers in the undergrowth! The patrol engages them in a firefight and overwhelms them . The snipers let out a squawk on their radio as they call in the quick reaction force!

The QRF swoops in! These guys mean business - despite the attention of two four-man patrols and a machine-gun team on a rooftop they barely take any return fire at all as they wipe out each of the three rebel groups

The SUV (which was just a resupply run for the rebel group) and the other patrol make their way to the compound. The  rebel leader with the package remains hidden but hopes to sneak into the vehicle while the rebels hold off the inbound gun truck

The special ops team aboard the gun truck careen around the compound trying to cut off the SUV's escape route. The rebel leader makes a run for it but is shot down as he leaves the building. 

With the rebel leader out of the action, the nearby rebels grab the package and jump into the SUV instead. The gun truck pulls up alongside and shoots down three of the four rebels. The last guy, huddled in the corner with the briefcase, loses his nerve and surrenders to them 

A close-run affair in the end - while the QRF were amazingly effective, the rebels were one morale check away from victory in the last turn!